When the 2025 Baseball Hall of Fame class was announced, Seattle Mariners fans rejoiced. Former MVP shortstop Ichiro Suzuki headlined the class along with former New York Yankees starting pitcher CC Sabathia. After he entered Cooperstown, the Mariners held a ceremony to celebrate. Before taking on the Tampa Bay Rays, Seattle threw a shot at one Hall of Fame voter.
The infielder was a shoe-in to enter the Hall of Fame as soon as he was eligible. However, Suzuki was not a unanimous selection. One voter in the pool did not think that the infielder deserved to enter the Hall of Fame on his first ballot. While that voter did not attend the ceremony, the Mariners saved him a seat in the stands.
Don't worry, we saved a seat for *that* one voter… #IchiroHOF pic.twitter.com/tH994QopHf
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) August 10, 2025
“Please direct your attention to the area way behind me in center field,” the announcer said during the ceremony. “You see that there? Look way up there. A premium seat has been reserved for our ceremony this evening for the one Hall of Famer who did not vote for Ichiro! I guess the invite got lost in the mail.”
Mariners fans were thrilled to see Suzuki join Sabathia as part of the 2025 class. However, some fans in Seattle are still upset that he was not a unanimous selection. Regardless, his name will rest in the Baseball Hall of Fame forever now.
The Mariners picked a great night to have a ceremony for one of their franchise legends. Seattle picked up a win over the Rays on Friday night thanks to a three-run home run from Cal Raleigh. The extra motivation from Suzuki's ceremony could be enough to fuel the team to a series win. They need to keep winning to catch the Houston Astros in the American League West.
Mariners fans gathered in Seattle to celebrated one of the team's best players ever. Even as the team had their fun with the sole voter who turned Suzuki away, the night remained positive.
